INDIA-GREECE RELATIONSHIP (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Greek PM emphasized the importance of strengthening the EU-India partnership at the Raisina Dialogue, highlighting India's role as a consensus builder.

India - Greece Relations

• Ancient Democracies and Cultures: Both India and Greece boast ancient democratic traditions and rich cultural heritages.
• Mauryan-Era Trade: During the Mauryan era, India maintained significant trade connections with Greece, indicating early diplomatic and economic exchanges.
• Strengthening Diplomatic Ties: The upgrade to a strategic partnership between India and Greece was initiated by the Indian External Affairs Minister during his official visit to Greece in 2021.
• Ratification of ISA: The Greek parliament ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a treaty-based organization proposed by Prime Minister Modi in 2015.
• Expansion of Bilateral Cooperation:: New avenues have emerged to enhance cooperation in trade, joint military exercises, and connectivity projects between India and Greece.
• Strategic Location: Greece's strategic position serves as a pivotal gateway to Europe for India and Gulf countries, forming the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) with linkages through Haifa in Israel and Piraeus in Greece.
• Mutual Support and Alignment: Greece welcomes India's stance on Cyprus and reciprocally supports India's bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.
• Enhanced Defense Relations: Since 1998, India and Greece have continually bolstered defense cooperation, including joint programs, periodic visits of warships, and signing of MoUs.
• Participation in INIOCHOS 23: In a significant milestone, the Indian Air Force joined the multinational exercise INIOCHOS 23 hosted by the Hellenic Air Force, showcasing growing defense collaboration between the two nations.The

Greece

• Location: Greece is a country in Southeast Europe, situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula.
• Bordering Nations: It shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east.
• Surrounding Seas: The Aegean Sea is situated to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
• Extensive Coastline: Greece boasts the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, adorned with thousands of islands.
• Population: As of 2024, Greece has a population of nearly 10.3 million people.
• Capital: Athens